“What does the future hold for your farm?” A free farm succession program

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) and the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University are offering a family farm succession program, entitled “What Does the Future Hold for Your Farm?,” on Tuesday, February 3 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Milwaukie Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive, Milwaukie, OR 97222. There is no cost for the program and light refreshments will be served.

Oregon farmer trends infographic

Our infographic on Oregon farmer trends, based on data from the USDA 2012 Census of Agriculture

The average age of farmers in Oregon is now over 59 years (see our infographic) and many family farms are facing a transition between generations, or to someone outside of the family. There are many important issues for farm families to consider when retiring from farming. “Can the current owners afford to retire?” “Do the children in the family want to keep farming?” “How do we transfer the farm’s assets?” These are just some of the important questions and issues that will be addressed.

“The Districts want to help farmers stay in business and keep good land in production,” said Rick McMonagle, Manager of EMSWCD’s Land Legacy Program. “Providing producers with reliable information about how to transfer the farm to the next generation is one important part of a sometimes complicated process,” he said.

This program features three prominent experts in farm transitions:

  • June Wiyrick Flores, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, LLP, is an attorney who focuses on developing and implementing succession strategies for families, family businesses and closely held businesses.
  • Michael Menzies, farmer and financial planner at Pembroke Asset Advisors, LLC in Beaverton, OR, who works directly with farm families to find practical solutions to their financial issues.
  • Sherri Noxel, Ph.D., Director of the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University, leads many classes and workshops in farm succession planning throughout Oregon.

 

For additional information contact:

Rick McMonagle, EMSWCD, at (503) 935-5374 or (971) 271-9281
Tom Salzer, CCSWCD, at (503) 210-6001
Sherri Noxel, OSU – Austin Family Business Program, at (800) 859-7609